Palmetto trees might face threat
Sunshine State gloomy over yellowed, dying sabal palms
You can make fun of our football teams, disparage our politicians, even question the design of our license plate, but nobody — nobody — messes with the palmetto tree.
Not in South Carolina.
But in Florida, it's evidently a different story.
A mysterious disease is killing off sabal palms in the Sunshine State and scientists don't know how to stop it. There have been quarantines and studies, but so far few solutions. Sabal palms, which have officially been our state tree since 1939, are just turning yellow and dying down there.
So far, this new ailment has been found only in Florida and Texas.
"We've had no reports in South Carolina, no symptoms at all," says Laurie Reid, an entomologist with the state Forestry Commission. "So far it's only in a few counties in Florida."
So we've got that going for us.
An attack on our beloved palmettos might be too much to take for many folks. It's like somebody messing with the family.
"They are something people see as symbols," says Lacy Ford, chairman of the history department at the University of South Carolina. "In part that's because of their durability, their ability to take punishment, survive hurricanes."
After all, legend has it Fort Moultrie was originally made of palmetto logs, and they absorbed the shock of British cannon fire. So something that could kill our tough old state tree, Ford says, "is something that South Carolinians would find disconcerting."
Many of the palmetto trees people buy at nurseries here come from Florida, but so far dealers who sell palms have seen nothing of this problem. Reid says Florida hasn't found any problem in its nursery stock.
Ollie Olivier, who owns Palm Trees Limited on Johns Island, says South Carolina hopefully will never have a problem with this new killer.
"There are a lot of diseases in Florida that don't affect us because of the colder weather," Olivier says. "We're a temperate climate, and they are tropical. A lot of times we're protected because we drop below freezing here every winter."
But pardon us if we continue to hope and believe it's because our palmettos are just that tough.
Reach Brian Hicks at bhicks@postandcourier.com or 937-5561.
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Comments
This article has 26 comment(s)
Posted by common_sense on July 24, 2008 at 10:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Illegals making potty on our tomatos, and now jalapenos, in the field while picking them is what's making us sick. Peeing on trees is not so far fetched. Look at the two states mentioned (Texas & Florida), which both have large concentrations of illegals.
Now if we could only take this toxin & use it to drive out the yankees...
I'm just sayin...
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 24, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah common_sense maybe we should get the illegals to piss on the yankees-not our trees.The illegals are bringing TB back as fast as Justin Timberlake brought sexy back.They need to go the hell away before we become as disease infested as a 3rd world country.
Posted by jeff61 on July 24, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Palmetto trees might face threat
Thursday, July 24, 2008 You can make fun of our football teams, disparage our politicians, even question the design of our license plate,
I think this is directed at us posters.
Posted by amicus_non_ego on July 24, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The North/South rivalry is over rednecks. I swear, close minded waterheads like you give the rest of us from the South that actually embrace the benefits of literacy a bad name. And if you think that infection you have came from eating a tomato with hispanic urine on it, good luck on telling your sister that sore on her face isn't your fault.
Posted by MissPriss on July 24, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lol @ jeff!
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 24, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
amicus_non_ego-First of all moron,it was a JOKE!And second of all-it has been PROVEN that the workers were crapping and pissing in the fields causing diseases.
Jeff61-LOL You are probably right!
Posted by amicus_non_ego on July 24, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's called fertilizer. Wash your food and your hands and you will be fine...
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 24, 2008 at 2:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Only in 3rd world countries do they use HUMAN crap for fertilizer.Thats fn disgusting.You would have no problem eating fruits or vegetables that someone took a dump on?
Posted by cpanther515 on July 24, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's a know fact that some Mexico produce is fertilized with human waste.
Posted by suec on July 24, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Is human waste as fertilizer any worse than dog, horse or cow?
Besides the psychological aspect?
Posted by suec on July 24, 2008 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is already being done in the US.
Wahington state, Minnesota, Georgia and Penn for example.
Or are you saying it is only hispanic poop that you have a problem with? After all, I'm sure yours don't stink.
Posted by amicus_non_ego on July 24, 2008 at 2:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Crap is crap buddy. Your food is grown in piles of it. Nitrates mean healthy plants...
On a side note, cheap redneck farmers that hire these illegal aliens are too backwoods to put a port-a-john out there. Thus, the need for those workers to poo on the ground. Blame your uneducated friends and family for perpetuating your deep-seeded fear of turds...
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 24, 2008 at 3:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
suec-Yes it is worse and thats what caused a recent e coli problem that sickened a lot of people.I don't give a crap(pardon the pun)what ethnicity the pooper is.Are you fn kidding me?I don't want ANYONE pissing or shi tting on my food.Is it that difficult for you to grasp.Oh never mind.You are a typical race baiter.
amicus_non_ego-So you are saying that my"uneducated friends and family "are perpetuating a deep seeded fear of turds"?Thats actually kinda funny.I don't fear turds-just people shi tting on my food.I also fear at the alarming rate that illegals are spreading diseases here.
To the both of you idiots-human feces is not acceptable fertilizer.Improper use of it as fertilizer is HAZARDOUS to your health!It can cause parasitic worm infections, such as Ascariasis.(which is a roundworm disease).So go ahead dumb arses and crap all over your food.Enjoy the diarrhea,more to coat your food with.
Posted by suec on July 24, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
google it
Human waste is being used to make fertilizer right here in the US.
The recent food problem was Salmonella not e-coli. Last I heard, they were not sure what was teh cause. First it was the tomatoes and now it's the peppers and I am hearing advocados. In others words...like you.. they don't have a clue.
1,200 people were sick. What is the US popluation? I smell and overblown sensationalized media scare.
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 24, 2008 at 3:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
suec-You are ill informed.To use human waste as a fertilizer it has to be processed a certain way.Not just people taking random dumps on fruits and veggies.You google the list of diseases from human waste used improperly as fertilizer.Do you think the illegals are processing their crap before putting it on the ground?Ascariasis -the eggs become infective and are capable of infecting people who eat produce grown in it or otherwise ingest the eggs.You can get terribly sick.
Posted by suec on July 24, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
so is it salmonella or e-coli?
Posted by common_sense on July 24, 2008 at 3:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It appears amicus has eaten tons of human-fertilized goodies to develop his/her lack of humor.
I'm just sayin...
Posted by SmooveB on July 24, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it's another Canuckistani plot (like Shatner and Howie Mandel) actually. I first heard about this on a trip to Florida this spring, and that joint was full of Q-tips driving around with Quebec and Ontario plates.
Posted by Girleygirl on July 24, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What can we do to get rid of the palmetto bug?
Posted by common_sense on July 24, 2008 at 3:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Girleygirl, find Jose with a belly full of Dos Equis, and have him pee on them.
I'm just sayin...
Posted by suec on July 24, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
common_sense
Do you have a tic? or is "I'm just sayin..." your sig line?
I'm just askin...
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 24, 2008 at 4:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ascariasis is one of the roundworm diseases that is caused by using untreated human waste as fertilizer.Did you not read my post?
Posted by suec on July 24, 2008 at 4:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You were just sayin..."suec-Yes it is worse and thats what caused a recent e coli problem that sickened a lot of people."
You said it was e-coli. Now you say Ascariasis.
What actually sickened " a lot of people" was salmonella.
You are all over the place.
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 24, 2008 at 4:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We have had ALL 3 of the problems.Salmonella is the most recent problem.Boy you get confused easily.Before this last salmonella outbreak,it was e coli.But I referenced Ascariasis because it is much more common.Human feces used as fertilizer is why a lot of Americans get sick when eating food in other countries during travel(such as Turkey or Mexico)It causes at a minimum diarrhea,stomach cramps.I can't believe how ignorant and unable to accept new information you are.All because you want people to sh it on your food.Sounds like a fetish.
Posted by suec on July 24, 2008 at 6:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Then tell me why we don't all have it?
Wash your hands, wash your veggies..
Use common sense
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on July 24, 2008 at 7:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Common sense says don't piss and sh it on your food.